MotoGP Thai Test – Chang International Circuit
Reale Avintia Racing team riders Tito Rabat and Xavier Simeon finished the three-day test at the Chang International Circuit with very positive feelings. The Spaniard all but solved his lack of confidence with the front end of his bike and in the next test in Qatar he hopes to have new parts from Ducati that should help him to make another step forward.
The former Moto2 World Champion enjoyed riding the bike at Buriram and he finished again very close to the fastest riders. His smile at the end of the test was the best proof that everything is going well and that he can be fighting for good results with Reale Avintia in 2018.
For Xavi Simeón it was not so easy, but after the issues from the second day, he was able to improvement today. The Belgian rider has a lot to learn in the premier class and he also has to continue to work on his riding style, to deepen his understanding of the bike and the tyres.
Rabat and Simeon now have a couple of weeks to prepare for the final winter test of 2018, which takes place in Qatar from March 1 to 3.
“I’m very happy because all three days have been very positive and we managed to be more competitive. From the first test last year, we had a problem with the front end of the bike that didn’t let me push to the maximum and I was crashing in the fast turns losing the front, but little by little we have found a way to improve and now at least I don’t crash like that any more. Nevertheless, we have to keep working to be more confident in the fast corners and, with the help of Ducati, in Qatar I hope to take another step in this way to continue gaining confidence. The team has done an incredible job once again and helped me a lot to improve. Now it’s time to charge the batteries for the last test of the pre-season”.
“The last day was better, not much better, but enough for me. Overall I’ve improved a lot with used tyres and it’s clear that we still need to work to understand the tyres, because I’m struggling in that area. It was a bit frustrating because every time I went out with new tyres, I didn’t make the jump we expected. But with a 25-lap tyre I was doing my best lap times. That’s why I have to understand how the Michelins tyres work. Due to the layout of this track, it is important not to force the tyre too much in some turns and the opposite goes for some other turns. I still don’t have enough confidence with the bike to ride at the maximum on this track, but overall the test has been positive and we got very good conclusions. Not having improved as much as I expected also has its positive side, because it makes me see that MotoGP is a very difficult class”.
